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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683745">the brave stargazer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblyincredible/pseuds/impossiblyincredible'>impossiblyincredible</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Existentialism, Other, do you guys remember the astronomy book that emma sent sarah out with, tma girls week, yeah it's that</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:09:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblyincredible/pseuds/impossiblyincredible</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Emma suggests to Sarah Carpenter that she should investigate a strange book of astronomy, she goes, albeit uneasily.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>TMA Girls Week</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the brave stargazer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi! this was for day 1 of tma girls week: archival employees</p>
<p>i wanted to explore someone we never really got to see, and part of her story, so i hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Dear, you wouldn’t mind, would you?” Emma asked, looking up at her from her desk. “I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> hate to impose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, er—” Sarah hesitated. “Well, I suppose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah steeled herself, resolving to take care of the practical examination of the book. It was only right, she thought, watching Emma tuck a lock of silver hair behind her ear. To sit for hours in the middle of the night would be hell on her aging knees, so Sarah nodded firmly. “Yes. Yes, it should be no trouble.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you ever so much, dear,” Emma said gratefully, rummaging around for the book’s case file.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Sarah replied. The relief in Emma’s posture only reaffirmed her decision, and she nodded again to herself with the satisfaction that she had made the right choice. “The book’s with Artifact Storage, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma handed her a small folder, nodding her assent. “They were expecting one of us already, so check-out should be quite fast.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright,” she said, smiling at Emma. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma smiled back at her, but there was something hidden in her expression, something that Sarah couldn’t quite make out. Was she worried? It was sweet of her, but Sarah didn’t think there was much to this one at all, really, and this book certainly seemed rather tame compared to other cases she’d had to verify.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, as she picked it up from Artifact Storage, she couldn’t shake that feeling of unease, acutely aware of the book stowed away in her bag. She would go late at night, after there was no chance of light pollution interfering, and she would chart the stars, just as Emma had suggested. Gertrude was out more often than not, doing follow-up on cases of her own, cases that she wouldn’t let the others see, so it was that Emma managed the archives far more than she did these days, and when she suggested something, Sarah was inclined to listen to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she got to the park later that evening, she set out a blanket underneath a tree. There was no avoiding it now, Sarah thought, pulling the book out of her bag. In a few minutes she would walk out to the middle of the field with her notebook, but for now, it was time to finally examine the book. She’d left it in her bag since she’d taken it from Artifact Storage, and she hadn’t yet taken a close look at it. Something about it unnerved her, but she knew that was typical of books like these, and with no small amount of trepidation, she flipped through it anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chart the stars, Emma had said. How was she supposed to chart the stars with a book that was so full of them already? The constellations were packed into the pages, hand-drawn with care, and so many of them filled each page that Sarah felt dizzy. No matter which page she flipped to, they stared up at her smugly, almost taunting her. Where were the stars she knew? Casseiopia, Aquila, Orion? These constellations bore names she’d never heard of, but she knew in her heart that they were real, and more than that, that they were so far away that the human eye had never landed on them before. Was she the first person to see these? Sarah could feel the distance between her and these stars, chronicled so carefully in this book, and she knew that they were far bigger than she could ever even imagine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing her panic at the thought, she looked up, desperately trying to see anything familiar, but that was a mistake. Through the leaves of the tree above her, she couldn’t find any of the constellations her mother had so carefully taught her, and her breath started to come faster and more shallow as she clutched the book even tighter, unable to pull her gaze from the night sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah might have stayed that way forever, petrified with fear, had a breeze not ruffled the leaves above her head. She blinked rapidly, focusing on the swaying leaves, and suddenly she was back in her body. Exhaling hard, she slammed the book closed, putting her head in her hands and trying to steady her breathing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few minutes, she dared to look back up again, but the breeze had calmed, and the stars were familiar again, so she packed up her things and started to leave. Emma would understand, she was sure, if she didn’t bring any finished star charts as proof. The book certainly was as advertised, and she’d completed the practical verification of the claim, so to her, that was more than enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cab driver looked at her oddly when she got into the car, but it was late and she was strangely exhausted, so she paid him no mind. When she got back to her flat, she fell asleep almost immediately, and that night, she dreamt of faraway galaxies and constellations she’d never seen before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the morning, she dragged herself out of bed and into the Institute. She got there at the same time as Emma, who almost looked surprised to see her. But when Sarah blinked, that look was gone, replaced with a warm smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How was the late-night astronomy, dear?” she asked, hanging up her coat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it was—” She didn’t know what to say. Should she tell Emma how it really felt? Would she even be able to? “It was alright. Book’s definitely legitimate, though,” she said with a faint laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma chuckled in response. “Should I say I’m glad to hear it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, either way, Artifact Storage will be happy, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure they will,” Emma said, putting a hand on her shoulder. After last night, Emma’s reassurance made her feel better. Even despite what had happened, it was good that it had been her instead of Emma, Sarah thought—who knew if that poor old woman would have been able to escape the unholy pull of that book—and she headed to her desk gratified.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading! come talk to me @archivistim on tumblr!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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